Unskinny Bop

1990 single by Poison

"Unskinny Bop"

Single by Poison
from the album  Flesh and Blood
B-side| "Valley of Lost Souls"
Released| June 18, 1990 (1990-06-18)
Genre|

* Glam metal[1][2][3]
* pop metal[4]

Length| 3:48
Label|

* Capitol
* Enigma

Songwriter(s)|

* C.C. DeVille
* Bret Michaels
* Bobby Dall
* Rikki Rockett

Producer(s)| Bruce Fairbairn
Poison singles chronology
| "Your Mama Don't Dance"
(1989)  | "Unskinny Bop"
(1990)  | "Something to Believe In"
(1990)

|
|

Music videos
"Unskinny Bop" on YouTube

"Unskinny Bop" is a song by American glam metal band Poison, released as the first single from their third studio album, Flesh & Blood (1990), on June 18, 1990. The song peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100, number five on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, and number one on Canada's The Record chart. It also entered the top 20 in Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

## Background[edit]

The meaning of "Unskinny Bop" has always been shrouded in obscurity. C.C. DeVille later confessed that the phrase "unskinny bop" has no particular meaning: he invented it as a temporary measure while writing the song, before vocalist Bret Michaels had begun working on the lyrics.[5] The phrase was used on the basis that it was phonetically suited to the music. The song was later played to producer Bruce Fairbairn, who stated that, although he did not know what an "unskinny bop" was, the phrase was perfect.[5]

## Music video[edit]

The music video for the song has Bret Michaels, dancing with a couple of animated neon cowgirls next to him.

## Track listings[edit]

7-inch and cassette single[6][7]

1. "Swampjuice (Soul-O)" – 1:26
2. "Unskinny Bop" – 3:47
3. "Valley of Lost Souls" – 5:37

12-inch and CD single[8][9]

1. "Swampjuice (Soul-O)" – 1:26
2. "Unskinny Bop" – 3:47
3. "Valley of Lost Souls" – 5:37
4. "Poor Boy Blues" – 5:19

Japanese mini-CD single[10]

1. "Unskinny Bop"
2. "Valley of Lost Souls"

## Charts[edit]

### Weekly charts[edit]

| Chart (1990)  | Peak
position

|

Australia (ARIA)[11] | 7
Canada (The Record)[12] | 1
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[13] | 3
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[14] | 42
Ireland (IRMA)[15] | 24
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[16] | 34
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[17] | 3
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[18] | 19
UK Singles (OCC)[19] | 15
US Billboard Hot 100[20] | 3
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[21] | 5

### Year-end charts[edit]

| Chart (1990)  | Position

|

Australia (ARIA)[22] | 28
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[23] | 31
US Billboard Hot 100[24] | 32

### Decade-end charts[edit]

Chart (1990–1999)  | Position

|

Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[25] | 62

## Certifications[edit]

Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

Australia (ARIA)[26] | Gold  | 35,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[27] | Gold  | 50,000^
United States (RIAA)[28] | Gold  | 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

## Release history[edit]

Region  | Date  | Format(s)  | Label(s)  | Ref.

|
|
|
|

United Kingdom  | June 18, 1990  |

* 12-inch vinyl
* CD
* cassette

* Capitol
* Enigma

| [29]
June 25, 1990  | 12-inch picture disc  | [30]
Japan  | June 29, 1990  | Mini-CD  | CBS/Sony | [31]

## See also[edit]

* List of glam metal albums and songs

## References[edit]

1. ^ Earnest, Mark (April 18, 2018). "Coming Reno concerts: Melissa Etheridge, Kiefer Sutherland". Reno Gazette-Journal. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
2. ^ Matt, Metal (February 21, 2014). "Achy-Breaky Too: Five Hair Metal Jams Destined For Rap Redux". MetalSucks. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
3. ^ "Poison's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
4. ^ Titus, Christa (July 5, 2017). "Poison's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard.
5. ^ a b "In Samantha 7 Heaven: An Interview with C.C. DeVille of Samantha 7, by Cindy Harper, " Ink 19, Retrieved October 18, 2005.
6. ^ Unskinny Bop (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). Poison. Capitol Records, Enigma Records. 1990. NR-44584.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
7. ^ Unskinny Bop (US cassette single sleeve). Poison. Capitol Records, Enigma Records. 1990. 4JM-44584.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
8. ^ Unskinny Bop (UK 12-inch single vinyl disc). Poison. Capitol Records, Enigma Records. 1990. 12CL 582, 20 3923 6.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
9. ^ Unskinny Bop (UK CD single liner notes). Poison. Capitol Records, Enigma Records. 1990. CDCL582, 20 3923 2.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
10. ^ Unskinny Bop (Japanese mini-CD single liner notes). Poison. CBS/Sony. 1990. CSDS 8143.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
11. ^ "Poison – Unskinny Bop". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
12. ^ Nanda Lwin (1999). Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide. Music Data Canada. ISBN 1-896594-13-1.
13. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1286." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
14. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 29\. July 21, 1990. p. IV.
15. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Unskinny Bop". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
16. ^ "Poison – Unskinny Bop" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
17. ^ "Poison – Unskinny Bop". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
18. ^ "Poison – Unskinny Bop". Singles Top 100. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
19. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
20. ^ "Poison Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
21. ^ "Poison Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
22. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Singles for 1990". ARIA. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
23. ^ "End of Year Charts 1990". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
24. ^ "1990 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 102, no. 51\. December 22, 1990. p. YE-14.
25. ^ Lwin, Nanda. "Top 100 singles of the 1990s". Jam!. Archived from the original on August 29, 2000. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
26. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1990 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
27. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Poison – Unskinny Bop". Music Canada. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
28. ^ "American single certifications – Poison – Unskinny Bop". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
29. ^ "New Singles". Music Week. June 16, 1990. p. 31.
30. ^ "New Singles". Music Week. June 23, 1990. p. 37.
31. ^ "アンスキニー・バップ | ポイズン" [Unskinny Bop | Poison] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved January 23, 2024.

* v
* t
* e

Poison

* Bret Michaels
* Rikki Rockett
* Bobby Dall
* C.C. DeVille

* Richie Kotzen
* Blues Saraceno

Studio albums|

* Look What the Cat Dragged In
* Open Up and Say... Ahh!
* Flesh & Blood
* Native Tongue
* Crack a Smile... and More!
* Power to the People
* Hollyweird
* Poison'd!

Live albums|

* Swallow This Live
* Great Big Hits Live! Bootleg
* Seven Days Live (CD)
* Live, Raw & Uncut (CD)

Compilations|

* Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986–1996
* Poison – Rock Champions
* Best of Ballads & Blues
* The Best of Poison: 20 Years of Rock
* Poison – Box Set (Collector's Edition)
* Double Dose: Ultimate Hits

Videos|

* Sight for Sore Ears
* Flesh, Blood, & Videotape
* Swallow This Live: Flesh & Blood World Tour
* Seven Days Live
* Poison Greatest Video Hits
* Nothing But a Good Time! Unauthorized
* Poison Video Hits
* The Best of Poison: 20 Years of Rock (DVD)
* Live, Raw & Uncut (DVD)

Singles|

* "Cry Tough"
* "Talk Dirty to Me"
* "I Want Action"
* "I Won't Forget You"
* "Rock and Roll All Nite"
* "Nothin' but a Good Time"
* "Fallen Angel"
* "Every Rose Has Its Thorn"
* "Your Mama Don't Dance"
* "Unskinny Bop"
* "Something to Believe In"
* "Ride the Wind"
* "Life Goes On"
* "(Flesh & Blood) Sacrifice"
* "So Tell Me Why"
* "Stand"
* "Until You Suffer Some (Fire and Ice)"
* "Body Talk"
* "Shut Up, Make Love"
* "Be the One"
* "Power to the People"
* "The Last Song"
* "Rockstar"
* "Squeeze Box"
* "Shooting Star"
* "We're an American Band"
* "What I Like About You"
* "SexyBack"

Solo albums|

* A Letter from Death Row
* Glitter 4 Your Soul
* Songs of Life
* Freedom of Sound
* Rock My World
* Custom Built
* Jammin' with Friends
* True Grit

Tours|

* Nothing But a Good Time Tour

Related articles|

* Discography
* Bret Michaels discography
* Samantha 7
* Devil City Angels
* A Letter from Death Row (film)
* The Surreal Life
* Rock of Love
* Season 1
* 2
* 3
* Celebrity Apprentice 3
* Bret Michaels: Life as I Know It
* Celebrity Apprentice: All-Stars

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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